Never trust a dead man

[thuylam]

It took several tries to get his voice to work . " No , " he said , amazed that Thorne --- who had known him all his life --- could even ask with a straight face .

" Well then , " Thorne said reasonably .

That couldn't possibly be it , Selwyn knew . They couldn't have marched all this way from Penryth just to turn around and walk back at a single-word declaration of innocence .

" We were all here , " Selwyn's father told them . " Last night , you say ? We were right here , all four of us , all night --- me , the boy , his mother , and his grandmother . We'll all vouch for him . "

That caused a shiver down his back , which Selwyn tried to disguise as brushing away a fly . He crossed his arms over his chest defiantly .

" Fine , " Thorne said . " Come back to the village , explain everything to Bowden . See if there's anything you know that can possibly help us determine who did killl him . "

The faces beyond Thorne didn't look quite so convinced , so reasonable .

" I've just explained to you , " his father said . " And as for the rest : Any number of people would be glad to have Farold dead . " He looked right at Linton then , which could have been by way of apology for speaking ill of the dead in front of relatives , or it could have been to remind everyone that Linton was one who had to gain from Farold's death --- for now he would be the rich but elderly miller's closest surviving kinsman .

Linton spit on the ground , looking as though he'd prefer to spit at them .

Thorne said , " Look , Rowe , let Selwyn come with us to explain for himself . Bowden is a reasonable man . But his daughter is weeping and carrying on ...... "

Bowden . That was Anora's father , and it was because of Anora that he was being accused , Selwyn knew . All summer he and Farold had vied for Anora's attention and affection , and in the end Anora had chosen Farold . The two youths had fought , two weeks ago , in the street , in front of everyone . Well more accurately , Selwyn had tried to fight , and Farold --- bigger , taller , stronger --- had dumped him unceremoniously into the rubbish heap as though Selwyn were about ten years old , much to the entertainment of the bystanders . So now , apparently , everyone thought he had carried the fight further .

" The girl accuse him ? " Selwyn's father asked , for he had never thought much of Anora . Selwyn was shocked at the idea .

" No , " Thorne said . " I told you , it happened at night . Nobody saw anything . Derian didn't hear anything , what with the noise of the water wheel and being half deaf as he is . It looks like the murderer climbed in through the window . Let the boy come and talk , Rowe . Settle this now . Do you think you're helping , acting this way ? "

Finally --- and Selwyn felt both relieved and terrified about it --- his father nodded and stepped away from the shovel .

" Good , " Thorne told him . " Fine . Now go up to the house and tell Nelda and her mother you'll be back by supper . " Linton , and two or three of the others , looked ready to protest , but Thorne nodded encouragement and said , " Go on . "

Selwyn's father put his arm around Selwyn's shoulder , and the two of them turned toward the house .

Whereupon they were leaped on from behind .

Selwyn hit the ground hard , facedown in the dirt with no time to get his hands up to break the fall . Somebody had a knee on the back of his neck and was yelling , " Get his hands , get his hands ! "

Selwyn's hands were pulled behind his back , and someone had rope , which proved that Thorne-of-all-the-fine-reasonable-words was a liar and had been planning something like this all along .

The majority of them had gone after his father : How many men does it take to bring down a too short , too skinny seventeen-year-old who's only ever been in one fight --- and lost it ? But there were so many men piled up on his father , Selwyn couldn't even see him . Still , he was all right , he must have been , for Selwyn heard him cursing .

" Rowe , " Thorned said , " I swear : You give us any trouble and I'll let them go ahead and club you on the head , and we'll drag you back . Selwyn's fine . " Thorne looked to check only after he'd already said it , trust-worthy friend that he was . " We just don't want either of you doing anything foolish . Rowe . " Still Selwyn's father struggled . " Rowe . "

In the end , they took the rags Selwyn and his father had wrapped around the shovel handles and used these as gags for both of them , replacing the taste of dirt in Selwyn's mouth with the taste of sweat and dirt .

Above the gag , his father's eyes looked frightened , and that was the worst thing of all , because Selwyn had never seen his father frightened before .

Selwyn was dragged to his feet and given a shove that wasn't as rough as it could have been --- or as gentle --- in the direction of the village . What about his mother , he worried , who would come looking for them when they didn't return for the noon meal ?

He stopped , digging his feet into the road , anxiously looking back the way the'd come . Somebody smacked him on the back of the head , hard enough to make his knees go weak . At the same time he was shoved again . But someone grabbed him to keep him upright . They kept him walkiing .